


Light Years Away

by pelzeniton



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff and Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-07-11 14:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7056007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pelzeniton/pseuds/pelzeniton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back on Krypton, Astra had a 17-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. </p>
<p>Sydney Is-Ac was Kara's beloved older cousin until the day she was supposedly killed in the explosion that destroyed their world.</p>
<p>On Earth, many years later, when an 18-year-old Sydney comes crashing back into the lives of Astra and Kara in the form of Lord's latest experiment gone wrong - Bizarro - things will never be the same. </p>
<p>AKA the one where Kara gets a sidekick (eventually)</p>
<p>*UPDATED* (finally)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Goodbyes

_Krypton -- Many Years Ago_

Shutting the door and stepping further into the small apartment she shared with her father, Sydney Is-Ac immediately knew something was very wrong. Her dad was seated on their beat-up sofa, feet up, browsing through a projection of their digital photo album. A new picture hovered over him every few seconds.

“What’s going on?”

“You tell me,” her dad smirked. “You’re the one out of breath.”

Sydney rolled her eyes, tossing her school bag on the end table and joining her father. “The magnets in the lift are broken again. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Is-Ac shook his head, grinning. His eyes drifted upward to the current photo above them both. A six-month-old Sydney, him, and his wife… ex-wife.

His expression hardened.

“Dad, why aren’t you at work?”

“Your aunt and uncle sent us all home early. It’s not important. Syd, I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to tell you this all day…”

Sydney eyed the projected images warily. “Did something happen to Mo… to Astra?”

“She was arrested and sentenced to life in Fort Rozz. Her and Non were responsible for the bombing downtown a few days ago.”

“Oh.”

“Sydney,” Is-Ac stated in  _that specific paternal tone_ she hated. Sydney jerked off the couch, roughly swiping away the hologram of the suffocating ‘family’ memories causing her throat to tighten. “I get it, she’s still your moth-”

“Don’t,” she ground out. “I haven’t seen her in three years, and she lost the right to that title long before.”

“You’re right.” Is-Ac emphatically agreed. “But that doesn’t change the fact that…”

“No.” Sydney started pacing, and her father eyed her sadly. “I’m good. I mean… I’m not  _surprised._ At least she’s not dead, right?”

“ _Syd.”_

“Look, can we talk about this later? You’ve already ruined my plans to decorate. Can I at least give you your birthday gift before we delve any deeper into our family saga?”

Is-Ac patted the empty spot next to him on the couch. “Yes, daughter. You can by sitting right here.”

“Low blow, using the day against me…” Sydney murmured. Is-Ac raised an eyebrow, giving her another one of his patented looks, and Sydney reluctantly retook her seat next to him. Is-Ac threw an arm around his daughter and pulled her into him. Sydney leaned against his chest. She released a shaky breath, allowing the sound of his familiar heartbeat to soothe her frayed nerves.

Is-Ac began softly, “I know this is hard for you, and it’s not going to get any easier if you let it go unresolved. She’s … requested to see you – for you to visit her on Fort Rozz.” Sydney shifted, preparing to interrupt. “No.” Is-Ac said, tightening his hold on her. “It’s my birthday, remember?” When Sydney relented, he continued. “I want you to go.”

“I… I can’t.”

“Not for her, or me even. For  _yourself._  You need to tell her how you feel, how you  _really_ feel, underneath those walls of steel you have.”

Sydney was silent for several minutes, mulling over her father’s words. Is-Ac was content to sit quietly, holding her as she contemplated possible outcomes. His daughter was methodical that way – she did not make decisions lightly. Finally, she sighed in defeat. Is-Ac bit back a smile.

“Do Fort Rozz prisoners even get visitation?”

“Rarely, but I’m sure you of all people can convince Alura to approve.” The father and daughter separated, Sydney turning to face Is-Ac, eyeing him skeptically. He winked at her in response.  “I mean, between Kara and Kal you’re practically the House of El’s official babysitter, and you never charge them. You have rights.”

Sydney couldn’t help but laugh at that. Naturally, Is-Ac beamed at the sound.

“You seem to have this all figured out. When do you think I should go?”

“Hmm….” Is-Ac pretended to consider the question. “Now?”

“Now?! But it’s your birthday!”

“Nothing would make me happier today, daughter.”

“Argh,  _fine._ ” Sydney stood up, grabbing her bag and heading for the apartment’s only exit. Is-Ac followed her. “Oh, wait!” she said, reaching into her back pocket, and removing a small, neatly wrapped box. “I forgot to give you your gift.”

Is-Ac gently cupped the back of Sydney’s head and tilted it forward. He kissed her on the forehead. “Give it to me when you get back, and we celebrate.”

Sydney nodded, smiling. Her father opened the door for her, and she stepped through it. “See you later, Dad. Love you.”

“ _I love you, Syd.”_

///

Krypton’s overpopulation had no impact on the life of a member of the Great House of El.

Kara Zor-El’s bedroom was huge. Sydney was certain her own bedroom could fit into it three times, at least. 

She stood in the doorway of the room, watching Kara for a moment. Each time she saw her younger cousin, she seemed taller. Much to her chagrin, Kara was growing up. She couldn’t believe the girl was already thirteen.

“Sydney!” Before the older teen could blink, Kara’s arms were wrapped securely around her middle. “I missed you.”

“I was just here three days ago,” Sydney pointed out. Kara’s arms tightened in response, and Sydney returned the hug, leaning down to whisper conspiratorially into the girl’s ear. “I missed you too.”

Kara beamed, shooting Sydney a quick smug look that screamed,  _“Duh, of course you did.”_ Sydney shook her head in disbelief nodding toward the bed.

As the duo got settled, Kara jolted as if remembering something. “Isn’t it Uncle Is-Ac’s birthday? I wasn’t expecting you today.”

“Change of plans, kid. Have you seen Alura?”

“Not since this morning. Sorry.”

Sydney nudged Kara with her shoulder. “Hey, what do I always tell you?”

“No apologizing for things I’m not responsible for,” Kara chanted.

“Right.”

Kara paused, a rare look of deviousness passing over face. “ _Sorry._ ”

“Brat.” Sydney smirked.

“In my defense, you  _always_ apologize for things you have no control over.”

Sydney paused in shock, Kara was becoming more observant. Rao, she  _was_ growing up. She gave the girl a playful shove, retorting, “Yeah well, you’re supposed to be better than me Kara Zor-El.”

Kara smiled briefly, before her mood seemed to shift. Sydney watched her deflate, eyes furrowing in concern. “Syd, I do owe you an apology.”

“Oh?”

“I… well. I was playing around with the Spy Beacon… the one Astra gave me, yesterday.” Kara shrugged. “I knew I wouldn’t see you for a while, with Uncle Is-Ac’s birthday coming up. I… don’t have many friends, and Kal is great, but he’s a baby. I guess I was feeling lonely, which is dumb...” The self-depreciating words drew Sydney closer the girl. “Anyway, Mom found me and suggested I call Aunt Astra.”

“She was here yesterday?”

“Yes.”

Sydney knew the fact that Astra was in the House of El, the house of Krypton’s head Judicator, the day of her arrest was no coincidence. Did Alura really use sweet Kara to lure her sister into a trap?

“Okay.” Sydney replied, simply. “What happened?”

“We got to hang out for a while, it was great. Then, Mom came and they talked.”

“Then?”

“Aunt Astra left before I could say good-bye.”

Sydney stared at the girl for a moment, confused. A feeling of great respite washed over her, as she realized Kara did not know of Astra’s arrest. “Kara, what exactly are you apologizing for?”

“It’s not fair that I get to see her when you hardly do.”

Sydney vehemently disagreed.  _Okay_ , well mostly disagreed.

For the record, the fact that Astra and Kara had any contact at all following her and Is-Ac’s separation years ago, was Sydney’s doing. In fact, during one of the last conversations she had with her mother, she made the woman promise to continue to see Kara; Kara was… sweet, innocent – just a kid, and she  _adored_ Astra.

Granted, Sydney was fourteen at the time, only a few years older than Kara’s ten. So they  _both_ were ‘just kids.’

Nonetheless, Astra had agreed.

A fact that haunted Sydney on her best days, enraged her on her darkest, and fueled this growing jealously she felt towards Kara – The Girl Who Had Everything – a mom and dad who were together, a life of wealth and privilege, Astra’s affection…

To be clear, Sydney hated herself for feeling this way. The thoughts usually stayed buried in the recesses of mind, and when they surfaced she felt sick. But, they were there.

They did exist.

Sydney willed the thoughts away and turned towards her martyr of a cousin. “Kara, I’m glad you got to see her. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

Kara’s entire demeanor exuded hesitance. Sydney rolled her eyes, grabbing the girl and starting to mercilessly tickle her sides. “Believe me, now?” she questioned, her voice booming to be heard over Kara’s laughter.

“Yes!” Kara shrieked.

“ _Sydney Is-Ac!_ ” The girls separated at the sound of Alura’s voice. She stood in the doorway of Kara’s room, arms crossed, shooting Sydney a look of pure exasperation.

The Kryptonian equivalent of goosebumps wracked Sydney’s frame, as they did whenever Alura’s presence caught her off guard.

At first glance, white hair streak or no, she always saw Astra.

“Niece, I’ve been trying to reach you for the past two hours! Where is your communicator?”

“It’s in my…” Sydney pulled the device out of her tunic and quickly deduced that it was drained of battery – dead. Alura realized this as well. “…pocket,” she trailed off sheepishly.

“Of course,” Alura muttered, shaking her head. “Come with me, we don’t have a lot of time.”

Sydney glanced at Kara, and the girl appeared as bewildered as she felt. Not wanting to further upset her aunt, she quickly said farewell to her cousin and followed Alura out of the room.

///

Sydney could not figure out why Alura was presently dragging her down endless halls and corridors she had never seen or even heard of before. 

“Aunt… Alura,” she huffed. “Would you mind telling me where we’re headed?”

Alura checked her timepiece and nodded to herself. She abruptly halted their brisk pace, causing Sydney to bump into her back. She turned to face her niece, grabbing her by the shoulder.

“We don’t have much time. Listen to me, Dear Niece.” At Sydney’s insistent nod, she continued. “I know your relationship with my sister is… rocky, for lack of a better word. But, it is imperative that you visit her immediately. I have prepared a ship, and it is ready to take you to the Phantom Zone, where Fort Rozz is currently stationed.”

“That’s … why I’m here,” Sydney replied slowly. “Dad convinced me that I should see her, tonight. I came here to ask you if I could go. I know it’s not exactly standard.”

“He figured it out…” Alura whispered lowly, clearly stricken. She rubbed her neck, as if pain, and appeared deep in thought.

“What are you talking about?” Sydney queried, wary of her Aunt’s rapidly fluxing moods.

At the sound of Sydney’s voice, Alura’s usually regal demeanor returned. She tightened her grasp on Sydney’s shoulder. “It’s of no matter, dear. I’m glad your father was able to persuade you.”

As she resumed following her clearly determined aunt, thoughts of confronting Alura about the circumstances of Astra’s arrest were swept from her mind.

Minutes later, they finally reached the building’s launching station. Alura guided Sydney to a small spaceship. It was cube-like in shape, approximately 2 meters on all sides. It appeared to have room for two passengers. 

The teen barely had time to make out two other single-transport pods in the darkened room, before Alura had the ship door open and was typing something into the device’s control panel. Sydney was a little taken aback by the fact that the station was empty at only 18:00 in the evening.

Before her mind could finish processing the anomaly, Sydney was swept into the firmest hug her aunt had ever given her. Eventually, she squeezed her back, resting her cheek on the woman’s shoulder.

“Aunt Alura, are you sure everything is all right?” Sydney’s voice was muffled by Alura’s navy judiciary uniform top.

Her aunt clutched her even tighter for a moment, before releasing her and giving Sydney a quick peck on the top of her head. Alura brushed a strand of the girl’s ebony hair out of her face, tucking it neatly behind her ear. It was the same shade as her own. She looked her niece in the eyes and said, “ _It will be_.”

The words gave Sydney a bone-deep chill that stayed with her even as her ship launched, beginning its three-hour trek through deep space to reach the Phantom Zone.

///

After two hours, space travel grew extremely boring for Sydney. The fact that her ship was  _barely moving_ , did not help.

“Iwad, are you sure this thing can’t go any faster?” she asked the ship’s artificial intelligence.

“It can go much faster, but your aunt left me instructions to keep us at this pace. Safety first, Ms. Is-Ac.”

Sydney shuddered at the title, resuming her furious typing into the computer system of the ship. Okay, fine.  _Light hacking_ was a more accurate term.

Since she left Krypton, Sydney could not shake this lingering feeling of dread. Iwad kept mentioning various  _instructions_ Alura had programmed into him. She needed to see what they were for herself.

_Now._

“Sydney, I don’t believe it is wise to de-encrypt this message. Your aunt gave me precise instructions not to show it to you until your pod is safely docked into Fort Rozz.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Now, if she could  _just_ figure out her aunt’s password…

“Access granted.” Iwad chimed. There! She was in.

Sydney read the text as it scrolled down the computer screen. Each line wrenched out a new bolt of emotion.

_Once you arrive at Fort Rozz, give the Master Jailer this message. He will free Astra…_ Bewilderment **.**

_Go to Earth…_ Uneasiness.

_Your ship is programmed with the coordinates of where Kara and Kal’s ships are projected to land. Find them…_ Trepidation.

_Your mother was right…_ Panic.

_Krypton is dying_ … Horror.

_Tonight…_  Devastation.

“Heart rate level dangerously high. Oxygen intake, decreasing. Emergency medical response, activated.” A hatch in the ceiling opened and a breathing apparatus fell into Sydney’s lap. With a trembling hand, she pulled a plastic bag from the pack. She closed her eyes, taking deep shuddering breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale. _Her teachers, her friends, her uncle, Aunt Alura, **her fath-…** no._

_Now wasn’t the time._

Exhale.

Sydney sat up straight, nails digging deeply into her chair’s armrests. “Iwad, how long until…” She bit her lip, hard, drawing blood. The pain served as a distraction. “How long?”

“Core and mantle temperatures indicate approximately another hour, at least.”

“Circle. Us. Back.”

“Ms. Is-Ac…”

Sydney’s jaw clenched and unclenched in frustration. “Finding Kara and Kal on Earth is a  _stupid_ plan. Anything could go wrong, and we could be separated for Rao knows how long. We will head back to Krypton now, and dock Kara and Kal’s pods to our ship. We will travel to Fort Rozz  _together_ , and then Earth.”

“But Alura’s orders…”

“Iwad,  _turn this ship around now_!” Sydney shrieked. Immediately, she regretted her harsh tone against the AI, he was just following orders. “Look, I understand that your number one directive is to keep me safe," she amended, "but, I will not put myself in harm’s way. We will stop this ship before we reach Krypton’s b…blast radius.”

Sydney wasn’t sure if it was entirely possible, but she heard Iwad release a sigh. “Very well, Ms. Is-Ac. I will follow your orders. A course has been set for Krypton.

///

“One down Ms. Is-Ac.” After forty-five minutes of travelling through space at her ship’s maximum speed, Sydney watched with great relief as Kal’s pod made it safely out of Krypton’s blast radius.

She waved at the baby Kal from her stationary ship, but he did not see her. She longed for his ignorance of their new reality.

“Should I prepare the ship for the docking process?”

She’d spent the entire journey back to Krypton carefully planning this crucial step – considering worst case scenarios, and adjusting her arrangements accordingly. Right now, in this moment, she was all Kara and Kal had. She would not fail them.  _It wasn’t an option._

“No Iwad, Kal is safe. Allow his pod to continue its path to Earth, for now. We’ll catch up with him after Kara has arrived.”

Minutes later, when Iwad announced that Kara’s pod had been activated and was making its way through Krypton’s atmosphere, a fraction of the immense weight that had been slowly settling on her chest lifted.

But then it was back, heavier than ever.

“Krypton’s core temperature has spiked. Estimated time until internal structural collapse is two minutes.”

“Display the countdown. How long until Kara’s pod is in the safety zone?”

“Five minutes.”  _No._ “Kara’s pod has just adjusted to maximum speed. Processing... New safety zone arrival time – three minutes.”

_Okay._

“Prepare the ship for docking and start the thruster.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

One minute later, Sydney saw Kara’s pod for the first time.

Seconds later, the world exploded.

_Her world exploded._

For a moment, the entirety of space was bright white and full of deafening noise. “Set course for Kara’s pod. Dock onto it as soon as possible!” she yelled.

Sydney could barely make out Iwad’s reply. “Approximately one hundred thousand pieces of the planet are incoming.” She yanked the ship’s headset communicator on with a strong swear. “Avoid them!”

Sydney felt every near-miss, every  _clang_ , as her ship weaved the through endless, massive chunks of her planet. Her eyes were sharp, searching for Kara’s pod. Finally, she saw her.

“Pod located.”

“Get as close as you can. Enable ship-to-pod communications.” Her ship was about twenty feet away from Kara’s pod.

“ _Sy…Syd?_ ” Before Sydney could reply, Kara’s pod began to slow. It’s smooth, measured navigation around the speeding, hurtling asteroids turned reckless. Sydney resisted the urge to  _scream_ her frustration.

“Kara,” she asked calmly. “What is happening?”

“My pod took a hit," Kara stuttered, "guided navigation is temporarily down. I’m trying to steer, but there are too many…” By now, Sydney’s ship was six feet away from Kara.

“Launch the dock now! Pull her in.” Sydney ordered Iwad. “Kara, honey, it’s going to be okay. Look at me. Do you see me?”

Sydney was now close enough to Kara to see the tears streaming down her face. She tried to muster up a reassuring smile for the girl, but she could only manage a mild grimace. It seemed to work, though, and Kara waved, her eyes moving to watch as the electromagnetic beam from Sydney’s ship locked onto her own pod.

Sydney would have watched the intricate docking process, as well.

But.

A colossal asteroid, the size of an  _island_  was headed directly for them.

“Iwad…”

“Calculating evasive maneuvers.”

“My navigation system is working again. What’s happening?” Kara questioned, hearing the frantic tones in her cousin’s voice.

“Everything is going to be okay.” Sydney asserted. She quickly manually disabled their comms.

“…chances of survival 17.63%... 90 seconds until impact.”

_Absolutely unacceptable._

And so, Sydney Is-Ac made a choice.

The  _only_  choice.

“Optimize maneuver calculations for Kara’s survival, Iwad.”

“Processing… Found… Slingshot maneuver #120146EJH.”

“Chances of survival?”

“For Kara – 90.47%” Iwad seemed to hesitate. “For you…”

“I don’t need to know, Iwad, thank you.” The ship and pod, tethered by the magnetic rod, began to rapidly rotate, building speed. “Please, restore communication to Kara’s pod. Enable its hibernation sequence.”

“Kara,” Sydney’s voice broke. She forced herself not to start weeping. “I love you. You’re going to be okay. I promise.” Kara frowned, leaning forward to press her hands against her pod’s window. Since they were spinning at the same speed, she could still see the girl. Kara opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes began to droop. Abruptly, she fell backwards against her seat in a deep slumber.

“Releasing now.” Suddenly, the spinning stopped, and Kara’s pod was rapidly launched in the direction of the Phantom Zone. Dazed, Sydney followed it with her eyes until it disappeared from her view.

Ultimately, she knew her plan had failed. Kal would land on Earth in a few days. Meanwhile, Kara was headed towards the Phantom Zone. The cousins would not be together for a time.

_Rao, please watch over them._

“Time until impact?” she asked, numbly.

“Fifteen seconds and counting.”

“Thank you, Iwad.” Sydney reached into her back pocket, removing the birthday gift she’d planned on giving her father… five hours ago? It seemed like another lifetime.

She unwrapped the small box, emptying its contents, and discarding the rest onto the floor of the ship.

In her hands was a chrome locket. She opened its star-shaped pendant, and gazed at the image of her and her father. It was from Sydney’s last birthday – the duo were seated on their couch, Is-Ac’s arm draped around her shoulder. Like always, she was leaning against him. They were both smiling.

Sydney closed her eyes, clutching the locket tightly in her hands. She lifted them to rest over heart.

_Then, there was nothing._

_There was no one._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> this story idea would not leave me alone. at first, I was definitely afraid to write it, because I did not want to get into the headspace of someone who's world had just exploded. so much pain. i tried to make it lighter at times, and hope that came across. 
> 
> let me know, if any aspect was confusing!
> 
> If anyone is obsessed with character ages, like myself, Sydney will remain around 17-18 for the duration of this fic. (How?! Stay tuned!)
> 
> Also, here's a link about Kryptonian naming conventions if anyone is curious. I never knew about them!  
> https://www.reddit.com/r/DCcomics/comments/35yqef/why_does_kara_take_her_dads_name_but_not_kal_kara/
> 
> Up Next: Earth is not kind to Sydney (and other understatements)


	2. Hope

_Earth_ _\-- 37 Years Later_

It was TV night for Alexandra and Kara Danvers – a sacred event where the women gathered and feasted upon all of their unwatched DVR recordings. Kara’s apartment was closer to the Department of Extranormal Operations Base, and after a long day of protecting the city, they’d decided to settle there for their night in.

“I’d give up my  _liver_  for Fitzsimmons to finally become a couple,” Kara declared, gushing over the latest romantic near-miss scene between the pair of fictional scientists.

Huddled next to her on the couch, Alex snorted. Unbeknownst to Kara, she  _may_ have already watched this episode without her, unable to wait after last week’s cliffhanger ending. “Is that even possible?”

Kara shrugged, too engrossed in the television show to respond, and Alex shook her head, swiping some popcorn from the bowl in her sister’s lap. As Kara took a sip from her soda, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came to an abrupt halt mid-episode.

_“We interrupt this night-time program with breaking news…”_

“Oh, come on!” Both women yelled simultaneously. Kara threw a handful of popcorn at the TV in disgust.

Suddenly, the sisters remembered who they were and what they did every day. They shot each other wide, sheepish grins.

Kara grabbed the remote from her coffee table, raising the volume on the news report for the benefit of her human sister’s straining ears.

_“… the gondola lift appears to be stuck over National City Bay, leaving dozens of people trapped hundreds of feet in the air. Sources confirm a powered woman has arrived on the scene. Video is coming in now …”_

Before Alex could register the fact that the flying girl looked familiar, the harsh sound of grinding metal diverted her attention.

“Kara?” She leaned forward on the couch to gauge her younger sister’s expression. Kara looked ashen as if she’d seen a ghost, her lips were slightly parted, eyes studying the live footage intently; she seemed oblivious to the remains of the remote still clutched tightly in her fist.

Something was wrong.

Alex cautiously reached over and placed a hand on Kara’s knee. The touch seemed to jolt Kara back to reality. Much faster than Alex could follow with her eyes, Kara was dressed in her Supergirl costume, three feet away from the apartment’s bay window, preparing to launch herself through it and into the night sky.

“Kara!” Kara’s eyes snapped to Alex’s concerned face at the notes of urgency in her sister’s voice. “You need to tell me what is going on.”

Kara bit her lip, clearly struggling to contain a  _deep_ and simmering emotional reaction. Her eyes began to water, and the sight had Alex off the couch, standing in front of her, before Kara could blink.

Kara gestured wildly at the TV. “Alex, it’s … Sydney.”

“…What?” Alex gasped, bewildered.

For months after Kara’s arrival into her life, Alex had only heard the girl scream her older cousin’s name during night terrors. It had taken a _year_ for Alex to coax the story of Sydney’s tragic death – her  _sacrifice –_ from Kara _._ The Kryptonian had blamed herself for her cousin’s death then, and if Alex knew her sister (which she did), Kara still held herself responsible today.

“How is that even possible,” Alex inquired, at last. “She’s four years older than you? But she looks…”

“ _I know_ , but I’d recognize her anywhere. Listen, I have to go. Find out what you can, and I’ll meet you at the D.E.O.”

///

Kara dimly registered the clatter of windows shattering as she broke the sound barrier, trying to out run (or out fly) her warring thoughts and emotions.

_“I love you. You’re going to be okay. I promise.”_

Even after being asleep for twenty-five years, Sydney’s goodbye was the first thing she’d remembered upon awakening.

Her parents and Krypton – she did not have enough time to even  _fathom_  an alternative. One minute she was saying goodbye and the next, they were just  _gone._ But, when she saw Sydney amidst the hurtling remains of her planet, she had begun to hope… to hope that she would not be alone, that she would not be wholly responsible for the infant Kal-El.

So when, suddenly, Sydney was staring at her with blatant emotion, a farewell written in the lines of her face. It had  _hurt._ It was immeasurably different than the other wounds she carried from the loss of Krypton. Unsoothed by time, it ached, and eventually she learned to live with the sharp, unwavering throb.

Logically, Kara knew that the person she was speeding towards was mostly likely not her cousin. She’d seen the asteroid, the desperation on her cousin’s face. How could she have survived? And even if she had survived, why did she still look so young?

But hope was crafty. It did not take much for it to trump logic, every time.

///

Sydney Is-Ac had already stabilized the gondola lift, ensuring it would not fall unexpectedly into the water below.  Now, she was waiting. She hovered in the air, approximately 6-feet above the transportation vehicle, trying, but ultimately failing to drown out the voices of the humans trapped inside of it.

It was difficult to see long distances in the dark night of National City, so her other senses were growing even stronger than usual to compensate.

_“Sydney?!”_

She whipped around at the sound of a voice; the two Kryptonians stared at each other for a tense beat. Sydney glowered, reluctantly captivated by this flying woman’s face. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she seemed…joyful?

_How odd. Though, she does look familiar…_

Sydney’s eyes drifted to the crest on the woman’s chest, and her thoughts came to a screeching halt.

_Supergirl._

Sydney growled, charging towards Supergirl at maximum speed. She seized her around the waist and began shoving her down the hundreds of feet towards the bay surface.

“Sydney, what are you  _doing_?” Kara called out, not willing to harm her cousin.

“We … kill Supergirl,” she answered, mechanically.  

Kara closed her eyes for a moment as the pair continued their descent, calming her mind and centering herself. Then, she flipped her cousin mid-air, wrapping both arms tightly around Sydney’s chest to anchor them together. She swiftly flew them both upward.

“Sydney, this isn’t you. Someone is making you do this!” Kara grunted, constricting Sydney more strongly as the girl struggled to break free of her hold.

Once Kara flew them high enough so that they were once again level with the gondola lift, Sydney switched tactics. She lifted both of her legs perpendicular to her torso and propelled herself and Kara careening backwards into the transportation vehicle, with Kara taking the brunt of the impact.

The cable car made a loud, creaking sound due to the force of the collision; it began to sway back and forth in a wide arc, causing the passengers inside to scream in terror. Surprised by the move, Kara’s hold briefly slackened, and Sydney ripped herself free from her Supergirl’s arms. She hastily flew above the lift and used her ice vision to freeze the steel cables that were keeping the car suspended.

Sensing her cousin’s plan, Kara shouted, “Sydney,  _don’t_!” and dived towards her.

Before Kara could grab her again, Sydney promptly shattered the ice with a powerful hammer-fist strike from her forearm. The cable snapped in half, sending both the passenger car and the dozens of people inside into a deadly, vertical plummet.

Instinctively, Kara nosedived after the vehicle, grabbing hold of its broken grappling hook with a powerful pull in seconds. Once it was securely in her grasp, her head darted upwards, searching for Sydney…

But she was gone.

///

Kara stalked through the halls of the D.E.O. base, until she finally reached the building’s main mission control room. She saw J’onn J'onzz and Alex leaning over one of area’s several computer monitors, talking in hushed tones.

“Please, tell me you guys have some information. On top of everything, her powers are… different than mine. She had  _freeze vision_.”

Alex and J’onn separated, and Alex shot Kara a nervous glance before beckoning her closer. “Kara,” Alex said slowly, “you might want to have a seat.”

“Alex…” Kara began through gritted teeth.

“Please?” Alex added sweetly, and Kara sighed. With an eye roll, she took a seat in the chair J’onn had just rolled over from another computing station.

“There, I’m seated. Now, can you please tell me what is going on.”

“Do you remember when J’onn infiltrated Lord Technologies a few days ago?” At Kara’s nod, Alex continued. “He came across a Jane Doe, but before J’onn could get her any help, one of Lord’s security guards came, and he had to make a fast exit…”

J’onn cleared his throat, trying to dispel the guilt he felt for having to erase the guard’s mind. “I did manage to snap a few photos of the girl. We ran them through our database, but did not get any matches at the time,” he added.

Kara’s heart sunk as the pieces began to fall together. “Show me,” she commanded, unsteadily.

J’onn clicked open a few folders on the screen and suddenly, Kara was staring at the face she’d never expected to see again. She noticed the little details she hadn’t gotten a chance to search for at the bay. The small, horizontal scar on her left cheek, the dimple in her chin, the wavy, dark brown hair fanning the pillows that was the exact shade as her mother’s…

It was _Sydney_.

Her eyes were closed; she was laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an I.V. bag full of dense, black liquid.

“We suspect the fluids have something to do with her new powers,” Alex explained.

Kara’s throat went dry. “Maxwell Lord is behind this,” she said, lowly.

As soon as Kara lurched forward out of her chair, sending it crashing into a nearby wall, Alex raised her arms, imploringly. “Supergirl,” she cautioned. “We need to come up with a plan first.”

Kara’s mouth snapped open, but before she could utter a retort, the _entire building_ shook.

“What is that?” J’onn barked, catching the attention of the nearby agents manning the D.E.O.’s surveillance station.

“It’s… it’s General Astra,” Agent Vasquez responded shakily.

J’onn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, a rare expression for the 300 year-old Martian. “How… what did she do?”

“She flew straight into our main entryway at full speed.”

Alex jogged the ten feet over to Vasquez to watch the feed from one of the D.E.O.’s several security cameras. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief.

Astra was alone. Her usual stoic yet haughty demeanor was gone, and she looked frenzied as she repeatedly punched and kicked at the reinforced entrance-way doors with all of her strength.

Alex turned to stare at her sister, a question vibrant in her eyes, and Kara nodded at her, speechless.

“Let her in, Vasquez.” Alex ordered.

Hesitant, Vasquez peered over at the Director. J’onn straightened his stance, standing stiffly. “I was a parent once.” He said, clearing his throat. “I understand. Let her in, it’ll only get worse.”

Kara swallowed thickly at his words. The hand she ached to put on his shoulder in comfort, lay still at her side.  _Now wasn’t the time._

J’onn seemed to agree, sending her a quick quirk of his lips, which she interpreted as thanks, as she walked to the center of the control room, away from the other D.E.O. agents.

Astra was in the room, standing a yard away from Kara, seconds after the doors opened. A trail of scattered papers, metal, and glass lay strewn throughout the D.E.O.’s halls in her wake.

Kara could not bear the expression on Astra’s face. It was unsettling to see her in this raw, vulnerable state; Kara feared what would come next. She had only ever seen Astra look so open, her emotions translucent for all to see, twice in her life.

The first was when she was thirteen. She had summoned Astra to her room on Krypton with her Spy Beacon. At the time, Astra’s emotional farewell had confused her. But she’d later learned from Astra herself, that the woman believed it would be the last time she saw her.

The second and final time was the worst, by far – it had happened soon after the media established her as Supergirl, when Astra had revealed herself to Kara and hesitantly asked for Sydney’s whereabouts.

The way her legs had given out and she’d sunk to floor, the gut-wrenching, anguished cry that had wrenched itself from her aunt’s throat at the news of Sydney’s death…

Kara closed the distance separating her from Astra in one stride. The air between them shifted imperceptibly. Their warring alter-egos, General Danvers and Supergirl, vanished. In this moment, they were family  _only_ – an aunt and her beloved niece.

Kara squeezed Astra’s hands tightly, and the woman released a shaky breath. “I… I saw my daugh… I saw  _her_ , on your city news. But how… Kara, you said… I mean, she looks…” Astra trailed off, her eyes starting to water. Kara recognized  _that_  wavering look – it spoke of an internal battle between terror and hope, one currently waging within herself as well.

“Aunt Astra, it  _is_ her. But, we’re not sure how she got here, or why she hasn’t aged much. She’s also being controlled somehow.” Kara bit her lip, as Astra’s eyes met her own. “I’m so  _sorry_ , all this time… I thought she was dead, but I never saw it happen. We could’ve been searching for her…”

“Oh, Kara.” Astra exhaled quietly, cupping her niece’s cheek. “It is not your fault, Little One.” She slid her hand down to rest atop Kara’s shoulder. “I am her mother after all, if it’s anyone’s…” Astra paused, shaking her head, resolutely. “There will be a time for blame later.”

“Right… you’re right, Aunt Astra.”

“Kara.” Astra began carefully, tentatively toeing the line in the sand they’d just drawn, “Do you have any leads, any information at all about Sy… about  _her_.”

To Astra’s great surprise, Kara did not waver. “We know that Lord Technologies is involved.”

 _Maxwell Lord…_ Astra subconsciously clutched Kara’s shoulder more tightly as the name looped through her thoughts, willing herself to stay calm.

“Aunt Astra, we need to give this our best shot. We  _all_ must work together if we want to bring Sydney home,  _and_  repair whatever has been done to her. Revenge will only get in the way of everything,” Kara asserted, remembering Alex’s earlier words.

Astra contemplated her niece’s proposal, observing the D.E.O. agents in the room for a moment.

The Director, Hank Henshaw, certainly would be a useful asset. She had a growing suspicion that there was much more to him than his subordinates knew.

Her gaze wandered to the impressive, brunette soldier – the Hellgrammite slayer. She was not surprised to find the woman scrutinizing her, as well. Alex raised an eyebrow, and Astra smirked faintly at the unspoken challenge.

“Kara, you are right. Joining forces is the best option. I… I will not make any attempts at vengeance.”

Kara chose to ignore it for now, wrapping her aunt in a warm embrace. She sighed happily when Astra returned the hug, pulling Kara into her snugly…

But, the silent  ** _yet_**  at the end of Astra’s statement was implicit, an unspoken vow.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up different than originally planned, BUT the details of Sydney's journey to Earth and of her time on it ... will be revealed soon. (I promise)
> 
> I'm really craving constructive feedback on this story, so please leave a comment and let me know what you're thinkin' so far!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	3. Intel

 

_Krypton -- 37 Years Ago_

_Astra In-Ze stood in the doorway of Sydney’s bedroom, watching her seventeen-year-old sleep._

_Her daughter was lying on her side, her face angled towards the entryway. One arm was folded underneath her head; the other was resting across her hip. She was snoring softly, her chest rising and lowering in-time with the puffs of air._

_A small, wistful smile adorned Astra’s face at the sight – Sydney had always been a heavy sleeper, even as a baby. She got the trait from her father._

_Astra tiptoed closer to the bed, eventually sitting on the edge of the mattress inches across from Sydney’s torso. She was perfectly content to watch her daughter sleep for several minutes._

_When she finally worked up the courage to smooth a piece of hair back from Sydney’s face, the girl let out a loud whimper and began to shift on the mattress._

_Unbeknownst to her daughter, Astra often visited Sydney at night, under the protective layer of unconsciousness.  Following their separation, Is-Ac’s sleep schedule remained unchanged, and despite the tension that developed between them, he had never removed Astra’s handprint from the apartment’s security system. Alas, it was relatively easy for the general to sneak in and out of the building undetected._

_Presently Astra found herself in new territory. In the past three years of countless visits, Sydney had never awoken._

_Astra’s hand hovered inches above her daughter’s face as she panicked over her next course of action. As a general in the Kryptonian Army, she’d always been quick on her feet – able to conjure a plan of action in the deadliest of battles under the grimmest of circumstances. But, one surprise from her teenage daughter, and she was mystified._

_Yet, when Sydney let out a second, more panicked noise, instinct took over._

_Astra traced her hand soothingly across Sydney’s arm. She leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the area between her daughter’s eyebrows that had begun to crease in distress. “Shh, my Little Star,” she whispered, “You are okay.”_

_Sydney’s expression immediately softened under her touch, and Astra ultimately failed to stifle the surge of emotion wedged in her throat at the sight. Sydney’s eyes opened at the sound of Astra’s shaky exhale._

_“Mom?” she drawled, sleepily. “How are you here?”_

_“Go back to sleep, Little Star. You’re dreaming,” Astra replied, tenderly running a hand through her daughter’s ebony hair._

_Sydney reached out, loosely grabbing ahold of her mother’s unoccupied hand. “I miss you **so** much,” she sighed drowsily, her eyes slowly drifting shut. “Please stay.”_

_Astra continued the calming strokes until she was certain that Sydney was asleep again. She stood up from the bed, smoothing her black tunic, and walked towards the door._

_She wasn’t sure when she would see her daughter again. Her and Non had a plan, but it was risky. It was their best hope at saving Krypton though, so she had to try. For Is-Ac, for Kara, for… Sydney._

_Before leaving, she turned to face Sydney one last time, not bothering to wipe away the moisture trailing down her own cheeks._

_“I love you.”_

///

_Earth -- Present Day_

It was the morning after Sydney and Kara’s skirmish at the National City Bay, and Alex Danvers had yet to sleep. She spent the night reviewing the D.E.O.’s information on Sydney and contemplating various solutions.

She knew how imperative this was to Kara. Her sister had lost her mother and father, her entire  _planet_ , her adoptive father…

Kara would not lose anyone else.

Alex was certain that Maxwell Lord was somehow holding Sydney prisoner at Lord Technologies, and that he had used an unknown black liquid substance to make the girl susceptible to his will. This serum had altered her Kryptonian powers, as well.

J’onn’s photos of Sydney at Lord Technologies and Kara’s retelling of her encounter with her cousin at the gondola were all the proof she needed.

They were also all the proof she  _had_ – a problem that needed to be remedied immediately.

_The backbone of any decent plan is intel, Agent Danvers._

From the moment she’d learned of Sydney’s earthly existence, J’onn’s words from her D.E.O. training years ago began running on a loop throughout her head.

Kara, Astra, and J’onn united made quite the team, to say the least, but if they were going to make  _any_ progress in locating Sydney and reversing all that Lord has done to her, they needed answers. To Alex, the natural solution was to excavate the source.

So, Alex quietly gathered a team of agents, raided Lord Technologies, arrested Maxwell Lord, and remanded him into D.E.O. custody.

Alex knew J’onn would not be pleased with the arrangement, andon some level she understood. A three-hundred-year old Martian masquerading as the prejudiced, anti-alien head of a top-secret government organization dedicated to defending the Earth from extraterrestrials  _is_ obviously very committed to maintaining a low level of risk. A level that unlawfully detaining a billionaire, world-famous C.E.O. would inevitably raise exponentially.

But, years ago Sydney had stared death in the face and chosen to save Kara’s life.

 _That_ act made her Alex’s family too, and family trumped any risk – blatant or hypothetical – every time. 

“You’re compromising the security of this entire operation, Agent Danvers,” Hank barked. He scrutinized a handful of D.E.O. agents leading the handcuffed Maxwell Lord into a cell room his organization typically reserved for alien detainees, dumbfounded by Alex’s disregard of the American judicial system.

Alex did not blink, standing her ground against the Martian she’d come to revere as a father figure. “And he is compromising the security of my family. Guess which one I care about more!”

///

_“As of now, we remain unsure of Bizarro’s origins. Is she an alien? An enhanced human? We can only speculate at this point. Her location is also unknown. We can only hope that wherever Bizarro appears next, Supergirl is not far behind…”_

“Aunt Astra?” Kara yawned, padding over into the living room section of her studio apartment from her bed. “What are you doing here?”

Astra was seated on the couch, watching the National City morning news while drinking a cup of coffee. “I circled back after I accompanied you here last night, following our discussion at the D.E.O. You left your window open. Once I entered, I saw that you were asleep so I…” Astra gestured at the pillow next to her on the couch, and Kara nodded in understanding.

After her standoff with Sydney the night before, Kara did not want to leave the D.E.O. until they had a solid plan of action to rescue her older (younger?) cousin. Despite Alex’s insistence that she return home and get some much needed rest, Kara was desperate for action. Even after Alex promised to call her the next day as soon as she was needed, Kara had only agreed to go back to her apartment when Astra said she would go with her.

Waking up this morning, she felt better – well-rested and much more clearheaded. She was grateful for Alex and Astra, because if she had tried to execute any impulses in that mindset… people would have been hurt.

Looking down at her aunt, she felt a rush of gratitude. “Well, you’re welcome here anytime.” Astra’s mouth dropped open in surprise, but the general recovered quickly, offering the younger woman a small smile in response.

Kara took a seat next to Astra on the couch, shooting her a sly grin. “I can’t believe you’re watching the news with coffee.”

Astra stared at her blankly. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Kara shrugged. “It’s oddly human. I can’t imagine you doing anything so domestic on Fort Rozz.”

“Kara, I’ve been on Earth for twelve years, same as you. Even I can see that not all their customs are bad.” Astra took a pointed sip of her black coffee and raised an eyebrow at her niece. “And, do you really believe that I still live in an intergalactic prison?” Kara’s shocked expression conceded her thoughts on the matter, and Astra shook her head. “I have my own apartment.”

“Wow.”

“You’re ridiculous, Little One. Although, I must admit this couch is the best one I have encountered,” Astra said, settling backwards into it, her attention returning to the television program. Kara chuckled and scooted over to rest her head on her aunt’s shoulder; she propped her feet up on the coffee table. Astra stiffened slightly at the physical contact, but before Kara could even think to move, she relaxed. For the next few minutes, the only sound in apartment was the morning news.

“I can’t believe they’re calling her Bizarro,” Kara chimed, eventually.

“Oddly enough though, I think she would like it.”

“ _Will_ like it,” Kara asserted.

She sat up on the couch, shooting Astra a hesitant look. “Aunt Astra…”

“What is it?”

“Look, I know we’ve called a truce, for the moment at least, but I have to ask. Is it okay that you’re here… that you’re helping us? What about  _Non_  and the other Fort Rozz pris…er residents?”

Kara couldn’t prevent the disdain from leaking through to her voice as she uttered her step-uncle’s name. Even from the few encounters she had with the man on Krypton, she knew that he was not good enough for her aunt. He was certainly a step down from her beloved Uncle Is-Ac, who had been the warmth to Astra’s coolness. Although she did not see him as often after his and Astra’s separation, Is-Ac always greeted her with a warm hug and funny quip.

_May he rest in peace._

“They will not be a problem,” Astra responded, vaguely. At Kara’s exasperated look, she amended her statement, albeit reluctantly. “They understand where my priorities lie… Most of us have become somewhat close over the past decade. So,” Astra shrugged, “they  _get it_ , as humans say.”

“Good,” Kara beamed. Looking at her aunt, she saw that the woman was still struggling to say something – willing her thoughts and words to unify. Kara rotated her body so that she was facing Astra on the couch, and waited.

Astra placed a hand on Kara's knee, lightly squeezing it, and finally began speaking. “Kara, I know that I have put you in a difficult position these past few months… but, I just want you to know that I… that _you_ are very important to me. Rao, when I saw that first news report of you as Supergirl, I felt such a mix of emotions. I was  _so_ happy you were alive of course, but I felt horrible for not knowing of your existence.”

Kara attempted to interrupt, but Astra shook her head slightly, continuing. “I recognized Kal-El as Superman, but I knew he wouldn’t remember me. It was easy enough to figure out his secret identity, and I scoured all of Kansas looking for you. Unfortunately, I assumed you would be older than him…”

“Aunt Astra,” Kara broke in, “I  _know_ you looked for me. It was implied when you first revealed yourself to me. I never thought that you didn’t…” Kara stopped talking, noting Astra’s expression.  _Aha._  “But this is not  _just_  about me.”

“Sydney,” Astra sighed heavily. “Looking at all these photos around your apartment, I see that you were safe and  _loved_ during your stay on Earth. But, Sydney…  _Rao_. She’s my daughter. I should have been able to sense that she was  _here_  alive and in danger.”

Kara slid closer to her aunt on the sofa until their hips were touching. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, Kara’s phone ringtone began to echo in her pajama pants pocket. It was probably Alex with news from the D.E.O. Shooting Astra an apologetic look, she unlocked the device and read the new text messages.

“Aunt Astra, it was Alex. Maxwell Lord was arrested. He’s at the D.E.O. base right now.”

“Let’s go.”

Twenty-three seconds later, the two Kryptonians were airborne – Kara dressed as Supergirl and Astra donning her black anti-Kryptonite suit.

///

Alex entered the room where Maxwell Lord was detained flanked by Kara and Astra. Kara grew heated at the sight of Lord in his transparent cell, her anger searing hot. Astra visibly hardened, ice cold and calculating.

“I see you’ve upgraded your security since our  _encounter_  earlier,” Lord snarked from his upright, seated position on his cot, taking note of the two women standing behind Alex.

Alex had no patience for their usual banter. “You’re going to answer all of our questions regarding  _Sydney_. If you don’t… well, that wall of glass keeping you safe is no match for even one Kryptonian. Imagine what two can do to it … and subsequently you.” Lord eyed Astra warily, realizing there was more to the woman than he initially figured.

To further illustrate Alex’s point, Astra stalked up to the glass cage containing Lord. Without a word, she flew up to the very top of it and gently stroked a small section of the cell wall, all the while maintaining eye contact with Lord. Seconds after she removed her pinky finger, thin cracks spread out from the region of contact.

Alex resisted a predatory smile at the sound of Maxwell’s audible gulp. He looked fearful, but also… confused, an expression she had yet to see on the arrogant billionaire’s face.

“How … do you know her name?” he stuttered finally, after Astra landed and retook her position next to Kara.

Alex frowned, her mouth opened to respond, but Kara was faster. “Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize my own  _cousin_?” she snapped, her arms rigidly folded across her chest.

“She’s your cousin?”

Astra’s voice was low as she strode forward. “You’re saying that you kept my daughter imprisoned and did Rao knows what to her for however long, and you didn’t even know  _who she is._ ”

Maxwell Lord slid backwards on his cot. His back hit the wall of the cell with a thud. “Listen,” he urged. “I can see this is personal for you, but it was not intended that way.”

“You mean, besides attempting to create a weapon to kill Supergirl?” Alex said deliberately.

“You can drop the act, Danvers. I know her real name is Kara. She is your adoptive sister,” Lord boasted, thrusting his chin in the direction of Kara.

Alex and Kara froze, exchanging quick glances. Astra’s eyes drifted back and forth between the pair, quickly deducing that Lord’s words were true. Before she could say anything, Kara threw her a look that screamed “ _Later!”_ , and Astra nodded once in reply.

“I’d love to keep you here forever, Maxwell. Please, continue to give me reasons,” Alex dared, staring him down. 

“Anyway,” he quickly backpedaled, “taking out  _Supergirl_ … that was for the greater good.” He ignored Alex’s eye roll, pushing forward. “When I received Sydney, she wasn’t exactly in a condition where she could recount her biography…”

Kara stiffened. “What. Do. You. Mean?”

“There’s no gentle way to say this,” Lord warned. He cleared his throat, choosing his words very carefully, suddenly extremely aware of his mortality. “Sydney was braindead when I received her three months ago. If it weren’t for my  _treatments_ she would have remained that way, indefinitely.”

The subtle spike in temperature of the air on the back of her neck told Alex that Kara’s eyes were glowing bright red. Not  _quite_ ready to witness Lord's death, Alex twisted around, seizing her sister’s hands tightly to ground her.

Astra was the first to speak. “I’m monitoring his heart rate.” He speaks the truth, Kara,” she murmured under of breath, out of Lord's earshot. Facing Lord once more, General Astra probed, “Who did you ‘receive’ her from?” Her words were harsh, clipped sounds.

Lord swallowed deeply, clearly out of options. The three women, each powerful in their own, unique way, braced themselves for impact.

“Project Cadmus.”

///

Kara roamed the D.E.O.’s maze of hallways, searching for J’onn’s office. Once she finally found the room, she saw that its door was closed and knocked twice.

“Come in, Kara,” the Martian called from the other side of the still-shut, opaque door.

Kara raised her eyebrows as she opened the door, mumbling, “So, this is how it feels.”

“Where are Danvers and General Astra?” J’onn asked, reading an assortment of paperwork from his position seated at his desk.

“They’re still interrogating Lord.” Kara said, sitting in the chair across from J’onn. “I needed a break.”

J’onn stilled his movements, looking over at Kara for the first time. “What can I do for y…”

“Do you really need those?” Kara blurted out unexpectedly, her eyes wide.

The Martian frowned, confused, before he realized that Kara was staring at his nose. Well, more specifically, she was staring at his  _reading glasses_ , the ones even Alex did not know he possessed. He hastily yanked off the eyewear and shoved it into the first desk drawer his hand reached.

“Danvers 2.0, why are you here?” he deadpanned. J’onn did not appreciate the bright grin Kara radiated at his abrupt actions. Well,  _mostly_  – the girl  _was_  having a rough 24 hours, after all. “If you’re here to defend Alex’s actions in arresting Maxwell Lord, don’t worry about it. I underst…”

“No, it’s not that,” Kara started. “I just… I’ve been thinking about Sydney and the future. I know that between you, Astra, and Alex we will get her here, eventually. But, what happens next is really uncertain.”

“We will come up with something, Kara. With Lord here, it shouldn’t be too difficult to reverse engineer the serum he has been using on her.”

“True,” Kara relented. “But, Lord told us she was braindead before he started the serum treatments, and regardless, we need a backup plan…”

“You’re right.” J’onn stated, not comprehending what exactly Kara was asking.

“ _You._  You’re the backup plan.”

“Excuse me?” The chair J’onn was seated in creaked under his weight. “Kara… I’ve told you before that my powers do not work on Kryptonians…”

“I know!” Kara interjected. “But we don’t know how Lord’s injections and whatever else Sydney was subjected to… have affected her physiology.” She gazed at J’onn for a long moment, the plea clear in the downward tilt of her mouth and shine in her eyes. “Please, J’onn, just promise you’ll try  _something_ if all else fails.”

J’onn shook his head. “You know what happened with the guard at Lord Technologies when I tried to use my powers. Why would you risk the same tragedy happening to your cousin?”

To J’onn’s astonishment, Kara actually smiled at him. “I believe in you,” she said, simply. _“And you should too.”_

“Fine,” J’onn conceded, at last.  Refusing to acknowledge the sudden lightness in his chest at the Kryptonian's words, he crossed his arms and glared at Kara. “You should get back to Alex and Astra. I’ll join you all shortly.”

“Right,” Kara agreed, clearly amused by J'onn's front. She stood up. “I’ll see you in there.”

J’onn stared after Kara as she exited his office, a noticeable vigor in her walk, and shook his head in disbelief.

Surely, those Danvers Sisters were going to be the death of him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was getting waaay too long so, I split it into two parts.
> 
> UP NEXT. OPERATION RESCUE and more of a focus on the mysterious Sydney (finally). 
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm having a lot of fun with all the characters. I love them ALL (except Lord, obviously)
> 
> *holds out upturned, open hands* 
> 
> please please give me your critiques, criticisms, comments, thoughts, questions, guesses ... ANYTHING. all is welcome and desperately craved
> 
> thanks for reading! :)


	4. Surrender

 

_Krypton – 50 Years Ago_

_A four-year-old Sydney sat on her mother’s lap in an Argo City infirmary. She was mere inches across from where her aunt lay. Alura was propped up against pillows in the room’s only bed with a crying baby cradled in her arms._

_Sydney covered her ears tightly to drown out the harsh sound._

_She watched as her aunt moved the screaming bundle towards her with a tender smile. She felt her mother’s arms squeeze her gently in reassurance, and she reluctantly lowered her own arms to rest on her legs. Her hands were on her knees, palms facing upward as she unenthusiastically accepted her fate._

_The wailing baby girl was placed in her hold, and her mother’s arms wrapped loosely around them both – just in case._

_Sydney froze at the new, up close view of her cousin. Suddenly, despite the red-faced infant’s tears, she felt a flood of unprecedented affection for the newest family member in her hold._

_“Hi Kara, I’m Sy-dee,” she whispered softly. Astra beamed at her daughter’s mispronunciation of her own name._

_At the sound of her voice, Kara’s cries immediately halted, and she stared up at Sydney equal parts confused and awe-struck. When the baby started gurgling happily and grabbed a piece of her cousin’s long, dark brown hair to hold, Sydney’s eyes shot up to her aunt’s, a radiant grin overtaking her features..._

///

_Earth -- Present Day_

Sydney Is-Ac woke up to a throbbing headache.

Her vision was hazy, the world around her persistently swapping in and out of focus. She barely maintained her position perched on a high branch in one of National City Park’s tallest trees. She’d chosen this section of the large park as a hideout simply because it was the quietest.

Since awakening at Lord Technologies months ago, she had this innate control over her powers, but now… they were _spiraling_  out of her control. Even from this relatively empty and heavily forested section of the park, she could still hear the voices of humans hiking miles away.

_It was overwhelming._

Three days had passed since she’d last seen Maxwell Lord for her… ‘daily serum infusion,’ as he called it. With each serum-less hour she became more aware of this… of  _something_  acting as a buffer between her and reality.

It felt like a thick… film was suppressing her senses and thoughts. She knew what her purpose was – to find and kill Supergirl – but without the serum, the film was being poked and prodded at, causing  _other_ things to slip through. She felt a  _hint_ of another person lingering underneath it all … fighting to what avail, she did not know.

The costume she donned had begun to  _itch_ , even though she’d been wearing iterations of it for weeks. It was essentially identical to the one Supergirl wore – the cape, skirt, tights, and emblem were all the same. The only exemption was the fact that it was a deep purple in all the places where Supergirl’s was red.

Her sleep was riddled with dreams of foreign people and places.

Whenever she was idle, she saw Supergirl’s face. The jubilant expression on it when they’d first made eye-contact. The way it had pleaded with her when she’d indicated her motive to kill Supergirl. How it had shifted to a look of pure determination when Supergirl had dived after that gondola and those screaming citizens…

Sydney slid her knees up, into her chest. She wrapped her arms around them tightly and rested her cheek on top of her kneecaps. She willed the lingering feelings of discomfort to vanish, but now that she was aware of the emptiness, it was impossible to ignore.

Regardless, none of this mattered, anyway.

If her plan went accordingly, Supergirl would be dead before nightfall.

///

_Project Cadmus._

For days now, the name had been reverberating throughout Astra’s head, clouding every thought it could meet.

In her several years on Earth, she’d only heard the two words in the haunted whispers triggered by missing alien prisoners. Astra had assumed the disappearances were the result of deserters – Fort Rozz escapees looking to blend into Earth’s societies, rather than join her efforts to save it…

But, the rumors were true. The nefarious organization existed, and their sole goal was the capture, study, and eventual exploitation of aliens.

_Project Cadmus._

These twisted humans had held Sydney prisoner for an unknown length of time. They likely conducted all sorts of perverse experiments on her, had driven the girl past her physical limits…

_Project Cadmus._

Rao, if she had believed the reports of her subordinates, if she had investigated the corporation further, could she have prevented this…  prevented her daughter from…

_Brain dead._

She felt sick to her stomach, but the sounds of steadily raising voices drew her back to the present. She was seated, her right leg crossed over her left, in one the D.E.O.’s several meeting rooms. Herself, Director Henshaw, Kara, and Kara’s  _sister_  Alex were meeting, yet again, after  _yet another_  failed attempt to locate Sydney.

Tensions were high.

And, of course Astra was frustrated… with the situation. As a former Kryptonian Army general, she knew that arguments within a unit were a purposeless waste of energy, especially after a defeat. Quarrels between her subordinates were  _unacceptable_  under her command _._

Naturally, the escalating argument she was currently witnessing was vastly different than what she was accustomed to seeing while at war. Firstly, the alien and humans surrounding her were her equals.

(After only one day of working with the D.E.O. agents, Astra quickly deduced that Hank’s director title surprisingly had little pull when it came to Supergirl and Agent Alex getting their way.)

Secondly, the two teammates currently in conflict were Kara and Alex.  And, well… Astra was a lot of things, but she was not a hypocrite, and she certainly was no stranger to the intense arguments sisters often found themselves ensnared in.

“…Alex, we’ve been at this for days.  _Clearly_ , your plan to catch Sydney mid-destruction of some area of National City isn’t working.” Kara was pacing at the front the room. She took long strides back and forth as she spoke, making random, emphatic sweeping gestures with her arms. “We need to be out there, looking for her!”

Alex was also seated at the room’s long meeting table, her swivel chair turned in the direction of Kara. Frankly, from Astra’s perspective, the woman looked  _tired_.

From her own experiences with her sister Alura, Astra expected Alex to snap at Kara. To her great surprise, the only sign of adverse emotion the agent in question exhibited was a weary sigh.

Alex cleared her throat, carefully selecting her words before replying, “I completely understand where you are coming from, Kara, but… Sydney could be  _anywhere_  in National City or beyond since she can fly.”

“Astra and I can fly too.” Kara mumbled.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “I  _know_  you can, but I really think that we should continue to wait it out. After talking with Lord, we know that her powers should be growing more out of control. She’s bound to slip up eventually, wherever she is.”

“So… we’re supposed to just continue to sit around and wait for her to accidentally injure Rao knows how many citizens of the city...”

“No,” Alex interjected. “You and Astra will stop her before anyone can be injur…”

Kara crossed her arms over her chest, her pacing halted as she stared Alex down. “You cannot be sure of that.”

“Well, we are pretty certain that it was Bizarro behind that earthquake at the National City Airport last night, and the incident at the zoo the night before… both times Supergirl was able to intervene before anyone got hurt.”

Alex’s words were unheard by Kara, who had zoned out of the conversation – flashes of Sydney injuring and killing innocents, of Sydney having to live with the  _guilt_ of such an act afterwards began flittering on a reel inside of her head.

“…we need as much time as possible to perfect the anti-serum we’re developing to restore Sydney’s memories… the formula is still unstable at this point…” Bits and pieces of her sister’s justification for her plan had begun to reach Kara’s ears over the horrifying mental imagery she was witnessing on a loop.  _“I’m really doing the best I can here_ , _Kara.”_

The last phrase Alex stressed rang in Kara’s ears for a moment; the reel of images sped up to such a fast pace that they all began to blur together.

“Well, it isn’t good enough!”

Kara froze as soon as the words left her mouth. At Alex’s subsequent flinch, she felt her own body recoil, as if it too had been hurt by them. She watched Alex’s expression crumble for a moment, before quickly righting itself. She opened her mouth to apologize, to undo the damage…

“Alex,” she pleaded.

Her sister responded with a small shake of her head. Without a word, Alex slid her chair out from underneath the table, stood up on shaky legs, and left the room.

Kara stared after her for a moment, locked in an internal battle with herself. Eventually, she too headed towards the room’s exit. “I… I’m going to go look for Sydney,” she said.

“Okay,” the Martian, who had been otherwise silent during the exchange between the sisters, nodded from his seated position across from Astra at the table. At J’onn’s ascent, Kara turned towards Astra. Her lips moved in the beginning stages of speech, but before she could utter the words, Astra was up and out of her chair, with a hand resting on her niece’s shoulder in a gesture of both comfort and understanding.

“Come, Niece. I will go with you.”

///

“Alex.”

Following Kara and Astra’s departure, J’onn managed to squelch his urge to check on Alex’s wellbeing for exactly one hour. He knew that if the circumstances were reversed, he would desire solitude to sort out his own feelings. (Not that Alexandra would grant  _him_  any.)

After giving in and walking through the familiar halls of the D.E.O., he now stood in the open doorway of the agent’s office, watching Alex stare intently at the screen of her laptop. She was no doubt reviewing the several folders containing all the information they had managed to gather on Sydney in the past few days.

At the sound of the J’onn’s voice, Alex jumped. The hand that had been rubbing at her temples, likely soothing a headache, slapped down onto the table with a  _thud._

“I have never known you to be the jumpy sort, Agent Danvers,” J’onn smirked uncharacteristically, trying to ease the tautness of the room. When Alex’s troubled expression did not ease, he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Alex, perhaps you should take a break.”

“I can’t,” she replied rigidly, resuming her parsing of the evidence files.

J’onn stepped further into the room. Over the years, J’onn noticed that Alex’s office was often a reflection of her emotional state. When she had first arrived at the D.E.O. months after her father had passed away, it was often messy and disorganized with files and clothes strewn all over. Eventually, as time passed, it became more tidy. Alex added decorations and it became a second home of sorts for the woman.

Looking around, J’onn deduced that the room  _was_ showing some signs of distress. An errant stack of empty, disposable coffee cups and the pile of clothes in the corner told J’onn that Alex had been living out of her office for a least 48 hours.

“You have been at this nonstop, ever since we found out about Bizarro.”

“Yes well, tell that to Kara,” Alex muttered underneath her breath.

“I’m sure Kara did not mean…”

“I know,” Alex insisted, rubbing at her temples with both hands now. “I know she didn’t mean what she said. She’s just worried for her cousin. I can’t blame her for that.”

“Then why are you in here working, when you are  _clearly_  exhausted.”

“I’m not exhau…” Alex trailed off when J’onn shot her a knowing look. “I’m  _worried_ ,  
she amended. “What if I’m missing something? Or, Bizarro wasn’t really the one behind that earthquake and animal breakout at the zoo? The news never actually recorded footage of her at either scene.”

J’onn frowned, tilting his head slightly at the agent before him. He had rarely seen her so full of self-doubt. “This is true, but we agreed that the left-behind evidence points towards the presence of a Kryptonian.”

“You’re right,” Alex sighed. “But it could have been one of the several Fort Rozz aliens we do not know of.”

“General Astra assured us that all the Fort Rozz aliens under her command have been accounted for. Plus, after analyzing the destruction at each of the sites, we concluded that ice vision and fire breath were used. Those reverse-Kryptonian powers certainly point directly at Sydney... You  _know_ all of this, Alex.” J’onn emphasized.

“Something still doesn’t add up.” At J’onn’s inquiring look, she continued. “We know that Bizarro’s primary goal is to kill Supergirl.”

“Yes.”

“So why hasn’t Sydney waited around? She had to know that Supergirl would arrive in minutes. The gondola accident was staged by her and Lord to draw in Kara. Why is she playing the waiting game  _now_?”

Before J’onn could speculate on an answer, the sound of a loud  _explosion_ seized both agents’ attention. Every unsecured item in Alex’s office shook from the vibrations; tiny pressure cracks begin to line the walls and ceiling. After the initial  _boom_ , the clamor caused by falling plaster and brick echoed throughout the room.

“That was close,” Alex noted, springing up from her chair.

“It sounded like the roof.” J’onn removed his pistol from its holster around his waist. His eyes turned a radiant red color. “I will check it out.  _Stay here_ ,” he ordered, sprinting from the room.

Instinctually, Alex strapped the Kryptonite machete she kept underneath her desk to her back. She grabbed her service sidearm and double-checked that it was loaded. “Yeah right,” she declared to her now empty office, marching determinedly after the Martian.

///

Venturing closer to the site of the crash, Alex slipped into the familiar role of a soldier.

Thankfully, due to its proximity to the main generator, this region of the D.E.O. was not heavily staffed. So far, she had only run into two other agents of the organization. She instructed Vasquez to work on contacting Supergirl. Whatever or  _whoever_ had launched into the D.E.O. via the roof had to be very strong, and while she would never underestimate J’onn, she hoped he would not have to reveal himself to the world as a Martian, just yet.

Noticing the dim hallway’s flickering lights, she ordered the second agent to head to the control room located on the other side of the building, and ensure the backup generator was working to capacity.

Alex braced herself before rounding the next corner. She could sense movement yards away, just out of her line of sight. She heard two voices, and she immediately recognized one of them as J’onn’s. He sounded… like he was  _struggling_. The sobering thought sent chills racing down her spine.

As soon as she turned right, Alex realized that she knew exactly where she was. This wing of the D.E.O. had temporarily been shut down for construction. Specifically, this hallway – which led to one of the biggest training rooms in the building. It was being upgraded to accommodate various alien weaponry and Kryptonite emitters. 

Before she could take two steps into the hallway, Alex suddenly caught sight of J’onn approximately twenty feet away from her. He had just been thrown from the training room. Alex watched him crash into the wall directly behind him anxiously. The room’s steel door was crumpled against his back.

J’onn quickly shook off the impact, and he was up, on his feet again seconds later.

They made eye contact for moment, then J’onn shifted into his full Martian form. He charged back into the room. Alex recognized the determined glint in his eye.

Alex did not remember making the conscious decision to run after him, but abruptly, she found herself at the entrance of the room, mere feet away from a raging Kryptonian.

_Sydney._

The Martian Manhunter and Bizarro were hovering in the air, halfway to what remained of the ceiling, in the middle of the training room. Alex could see the blue sky and streaks of sunlight through the Sydney-sized hole there.

J’onn had Sydney in his grasp, one of his arms wrapped firmly underneath her neck and the other gripping her soldier. Despite the blank expression on Sydney’s face, the erratic jerks of her hanging legs indicated a desperateness to escape. Her hands clawed at J’onn’s forearms.

When Sydney took note of Alex’s presence in the doorway, she swiveled herself, and J’onn as a result, in an arc until they were both facing the woman.

“Don’t want fight. Need Supergirl,” Sydney shouted.

“Okay,” Alex said, slowly. “Surrender. We do not want to hurt you, Sydney.”

Alex regretted her word choice immediately, as they seemed to trigger something within the girl. A deep frown contorted her features and she blew a stream of fire down at herself, where J’onn’s arm was pinning her to his body. “I don’t surrender.  _You_  surrender!” she bellowed.

As soon as the fire left Sydney’s mouth, J’onn’s entire body shuddered. Sydney slipped from his hold and they both tumbled towards the floor. Sydney caught herself before she hit the ground, but J’onn landed in a heap. Alex rushed over to his side, meanwhile Sydney floated above them both, satisfied.

“J’onn, it’s the fire isn’t it?” Alex whispered, keenly recalling from a previous conversation between them that fire was the only weakness the Martian possessed. J’onn nodded feebly in response, and Alex helped him up into a seated position.

Sydney quickly used her fire breath once more, and the two agents barely rolled into time to dodge the blast. The fire hit the back wall of the training room and roared further to life, promptly spreading, and setting it ablaze. His proximity to this renewed fire caused J’onn to break out in a sweat. He began to wheeze heavily and struggled to catch his breath.

Sensing weakness, Sydney dived, plowing towards the D.E.O. agents. One shove sent Alex skidding across the floor until her back hit the padded walls opposite those now bathed in fire.

Sydney grabbed J’onn by the front of his costume and dragged him even closer to the flames. “Where is Supergirl?” she demanded, gripping his shoulders, and trapping his body between her and the ground.

“Don’t. Know,” J’onn stuttered unevenly.

Sydney’s back was facing Alex, and Alex used this fact to her advantage. She quickly righted herself and started sneaking up behind the Kryptonian. She was astounded that Sydney hadn’t heard her advance; Lord’s prediction of her powers starting to malfunction must have been true.

Alex did not realize that her Kryptonite machete was in her hand until she was only a foot away from Bizarro.

The sight of the glowing green blade and the realization of what she could do with it, caused Alex to hesitate. The weapon began shaking in her trembling hold as she struggled to think of scenarios that did not involve  _stabbing Kara’s cousin_.

But, there was no time.

Sydney had just questioned J’onn a second time about Kara’s whereabouts. The Martian was too gassed to even reply; a weak noise was all that left his lips.

The sound made Alex’s eyes water.

Now, Sydney was opening her mouth, and… she was taking aim directly at J’onn.

Everything slowed, and Alex could see the licks of fire slowly forming, starting to leave Sydney’s lips…

She had to make a split-second decision…

For a split-second all she could  _see_ was her sister’s face when she learned her cousin was dead for the second time.

Thus, she did the only thing that she  _could_ , as someone who loves Kara… and someone who loves J’onn.

Her hand closed tightly around the hilt of the deadly weapon for a moment before, she sheathed it back into its scabbard tied to her back. Then, she reared forward, hurling herself at Sydney. Her arms locked around the girl’s middle, and she tackled her to the ground.

The flames died before they could reach J’onn.

Physically superior in every way, Sydney swiftly gained the upper hand in their tussle. Her face twisted into a snarl, and she seized Alex by the collar of her shirt. She flew upwards, clutching a gasping Alex with one hand. Alex held onto Sydney’s wrist desperately, as she tried to reason with the Kryptonian.

“Sydney, Supergirl will be here soon!”

“Then, no purpose for you,” Sydney decided. Even from her position dangling in the air, yards away from J’onn, Alex could still see his face. His eyes were darting between her and Sydney, and he was trying to crawl over to them, slowly sliding his body across the ground. He willed his body to soar into the air, but…

Nothing happened.

J’onn looked terrified for her, and Alex had never seen a scarier sight.

Abruptly, Sydney tossed her to the ground. Alex groaned aloud, the impact resounding throughout her entire body, as she struggled to sit up on the floor. Still floating above her, Sydney’s eyes began to turn a bright white color. Alex shut her own tightly, accepting her fate.

She waited for the coldness to reach her, but instead she felt a strong gust of wind and a dark shadow enveloping her body.

“Alex?!”

Alex opened her eyes and saw Astra. The Kryptonian General was standing directly in front her, shielding Alex from the brunt of Sydney’s ice blast. She shivered slightly at the frigidness of the few bits and pieces of ice that landed near her.

Alex felt a hand grip her wrist almost too tightly and turned to see Kara crouched down beside her.

“J’onn…” Alex began frantically. She looked over at the Martian and quickly saw that the whirlwind of air she’d felt had extinguished the flames threatening his alien physique. Without the threat of fire, J’onn seemed to be on the mend. He was already up on wobbly feet, unsteadily making his way over to them both.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw Astra launch herself into the air. Kara stared at Alex for a moment, worry clear on her face, and Alex nodded firmly in response. Now certain that her sister was all right, Kara stood up as well, and joined Astra in the air.

Once J’onn reached Alex, he quickly pulled her up, off the ground and into a standing position. Alex darted from the room as fast as her feet could carry her, heading towards the sickbay to prepare Sydney’s anti-serum for injection.

J’onn followed.

///

Sydney’s headache was back with a vigor. Her movements were sluggish and her surroundings were growing blurrier with each passing minute.

Her plan had worked. She’d created a diversion in National City. When Supergirl had arrived to save the day, she hid a decent distance away – close enough so that when Supergirl left, she could follow her back to her base of operations.

After the earthquake at the airport, Sydney had slipped up. She’d gotten her first headache and had lost track of Supergirl before she reached her hideout. The second time though, following the zoo incident, she managed to follow her within a quarter-mile of the military base… the one Sydney was at now.

Sydney wasn’t  _quite_ sure why she had chosen this course of action – to bait and wait – and had not attacked Supergirl as soon as she saw her. It was a direct breech of her orders from Maxwell Lord.

In retrospect, she suspected that there were other unseen forces at play. Particularly, one behind the scenes of her own actions, covertly pulling her strings.

Sydney knew failure was unacceptable, but her powers  _were already failing_ her. She should have been able to obliterate the human and alien she’d just been fighting, but her powers were malfunctioning. They did not galvanize exactly when she summoned them and often aimed at places beyond her intended target.

At least Supergirl had arrived,  _finally_. That was all she wanted.

Of course, she could not manage to arrive alone.

There was another woman wearing an all-black costume. She had protected the agent from Sydney’s ice vision, and seemed to be impervious to it. Now, she was hovering in the air only a few yards away from Sydney. She did not make any sudden movements towards Sydney and seemed content to only watch her.

The woman appeared… thunderstruck. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound was released. Sydney fidgeted while underneath her heavy gaze. She needed to do something, but she too was unable to move. Something about the woman was causing the throbbing in her head to reach new, painful heights. She clenched both of her hands into fists to conceal the fact that they had begun to shake.

The expression on the woman’s face… Sydney struggled to recognize it. _Concern?_ Before Sydney could react to this development, Supergirl had joined the woman in the air, holding her hands up, beseechingly.

“Sydney, I will not fight you,” Supergirl asserted. “A lot has happened, but I know that a part of you  _must_ recognize us. We are your  _family_!” she cried.

Sydney frowned at the blatant lie. What sort of tactic was this? She willed her mind to piece the words of her response together. Speech was always difficult.

“You… lie,” she ground out.

“Sydney, please listen to us.” The woman in black was talking now. “I am Astra, your  _mother_  and this is  _Kara_ , your cousin!”

Mother.

Cousin.

_Kara._

_Astr-_

The next instant, Sydney’s body stiffened as if struck, and she gasped aloud.

She had dreamed of herself holding a baby… those eyes. They were identical to the ones Supergirl stared at her with now. Sydney gazed at the stark, white streak in the woman’s hair. The sight caused something deep within her chest to break free.

“Mo…” Her lips mouthed the word, but her voice wavered, tampering off before the entirety of the syllable was uttered. The throbbing in her head was agonizing now, her vision blurred to point where she could no longer distinguish the features of Kara and Astra’s faces.

She saw their bodies simultaneously rush towards her in a haze of swift motion. She felt an arm wrap around her, hands were gripping her arm and shoulders…

Then, the world went black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About 4500 words, the longest chapter yet!
> 
> Please take a moment to leave a comment. I greatly appreciate any feedback :)
> 
> So now, Sydney is at the D.E.O. Up next, we start to get some much-needed answers about her time in Project Cadmus. Also, I wonder how she will react to Astra?! Lots of stuff to come with that relationship. It will not be an easy road for Sydney & Astra... or Kara & Sydney for that matter. 
> 
> Basically, lots of all-around family drama to come.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Safe

_Krypton -- 39 Years Ago_

_A thirteen-year-old Sydney stood in the hallway outside of her family’s apartment. She pressed an ear to its wooden door expecting to hear voices inside. Instead, she was met with silence, a welcome change from the usual clamor of hated arguments._

_Typically, Sydney stayed far away from her parents’ love life, because well – gross. But, lately all her mother and father did was fight. They tried not to argue in front of her, but there was an aloofness in their home that had never been present before._

_Sydney entered the apartment with a smile. “Mom, dad?” she called, heading towards the back of the flat. “I’m back from Kara’s…” Sydney had reached the entranceway of her parents’ room, but what she saw halted her words._

_Her mother was packing._

_Given that her mother was a general in the Kryptonian Army, she was accustomed to this sight. The fact that her father was not present is what gave Sydney pause._

_For as long as Sydney could remember, her father had always helped her mother prepare before she left for a ‘work trip.’ It was a ritual of theirs. Apparently, in her haste to get to the mission, Astra would always forget some essential item she needed… her communicator, currency, identification, badges, the list went on… and well, Is-Ac loved making lists._

_They were quite the pair._

_Her parents acted like children around each other, hardly a general and physicist, and the packing always took longer than it had to._

_Astra would make fun of Is-Ac’s exasperatingly neat folding. He would inevitably quip, ‘Aren’t you the one in the army?’ Then, Astra would throw something at him in response. Cycle. Repeat._

_Sydney secretly loved watching._

_The sound of her mother’s voice snapped Sydney back to the present. “Sydney, what are you doing here? I thought you were having dinner at your aunt’s.”_

_Sydney struggled against the sinking feeling starting to form in her chest. “I wanted to come home early. I was hoping we could order something and have a family dinner tonight… where’s Dad?”_

_Astra stiffened at the mention of Is-Ac. “He’ll be home in an hour or so,” she said coolly. The calmness in her mother’s tone directly contrasted the rising uncertainty Sydney was feeling; it made her angry. She finally stepped into her parents’ bedroom, coming to a stop on the side of the bed directly opposite from where Astra stood stuffing clothes into a suitcase._

_“Mom, are you really going to act like nothing is wrong?”_

_“Everything is fine. A mission came up unexpectantly, and I need to le...”_

_Sydney frowned at the words and crossed her arms. “Please don’t lie to me,” she interjected, seeing through her mother’s falsehood. “I’m not a kid anymore. I know that you and dad have been arguing a lot lately. That’s why you’re leaving, isn’t it?” The crack in Sydney’s voice made the accusation come out as more of a question._

_The shift in Sydney’s tone melted Astra’s icy demeanor. She silently walked around the bed and took a seat close to where Sydney stood rigidly. She smiled sadly, reaching up and gently tugging her daughter down to sit next to her._

_“I’m sorry,” Astra said eventually. She caught her daughter’s eyes as she continued. “I love your father, but things between us have gotten complicated…”_

_“So you’re just going to leave?” Sydney did not say it, but Astra heard the “me” at the end of her daughter’s question regardless. The word startled her as if Sydney had yelled it._

_“Hey,” Astra said firmly, placing a hand on Sydney’s knee. “Listen to me. This has nothing to do with you, okay? I **will** be back.” She turned her body on the bed so that it was facing her daughter and folded Sydney into her chest, wrapping the teen into a warm embrace. Sydney hugged her back, her head tucking itself beneath Astra’s chin and into the crook of her neck._

_Sydney let out a shaky breath at the sensation, burrowing as deep into her mother’s embrace as she could. Astra kissed the top of Sydney’s head in response. “I’m just trying to keep you safe,” she murmured. “That’s all I want.”_

_Astra’s words confused Sydney, and she found herself unable to fully relax. This was the first time being her mother’s arms did not mollify her teeming thoughts._

_It felt like the end of something beautiful._

///

_Earth -- Present Day_

Sydney Is-Ac was awake.

She ached all over, her eye-lids were heavy, and she felt… groggy.

But she was conscious and autonomous, so this was a vast improvement.

Still, why hadn’t she completely healed?

Sydney tried to sit up, but she could barely manage to lift her back before the dull throbbing in her head spiked to excruciating heights. She fell backwards, her head retaking its position propped up by pillows on a mattress. Lifting a hand to rub at her temple, she tried to discern her surroundings.

The Kryptonite-tipped I.V. catheters in the vein of left hand explained the lack of healing.

She continued to look around, but before she could process the fact that she was in some sort of medical bay, Sydney saw the blonde hair.

She saw that particular shade of blonde, so golden in certain areas that it reminded her of stardust.

It was longer than she remembered.

It belonged to Kara Zor-El.

Her cousin was sitting in a chair barely a foot away from where Sydney lay. Her arms where crossed over chest, her head was thrown backwards, and her eyes were closed. _She’s asleep_ , Sydney realized. She was grateful that Kara was wearing normal clothes and not her Supergirl costume.

_Why does Kara need glasses?_

Sydney ached to reach out. She wanted to hold Kara in her arms like she had fantasized of doing those first few months at Cadmus. The months _before_ the hopelessness of her situation seeped in, and she had given up. Before the past became too painful to even dream of.

Now, Kara was finally within her grasp. If she lifted her arm and she would already be halfway there, yet Sydney found herself unable to move…

She was paralyzed, but with what specific emotion? Well, Sydney was not sure. Confusion, disbelief, fear – they were all there.

Confusion because Sydney was not certain how old she was. Rao knows how long she was in space – floating around in suspended animation. Eventually, she had stopped counting her days at Cadmus. And presently, she refused to even think about what happened afterwards with Maxw–

Sydney was confused because she had seen enough of her features, in the semi-reflective walls surrounding her, to deduce that Kara was older than her by at least half a decade, if not more. Subsequent thoughts of time and aging made her brain hurt.

Disbelief?

Was any of this even real?

She trembled, shaken by the thought… the possibility that her surroundings, Kara, and this feeling of safety she was battling against were all a part of a hallucination – simply Cadmus perfecting their latest method of torture.

Or maybe she had done this to herself as a way to escape from the reality that she was imprisoned in her own mind, her body committing unspeakable acts while completely beyond her control…

As for the fear – the terror triggering the bile slowly rising in her throat – if this was not a façade, then how long could it possibly last?

How long until Cadmus discovered her? Surely they would want her back now that she was ‘fixed.’ _You will never escape Cadmus_ , they had sneered. What if they decided to take Kara this time?

How long would she be safe and happy until her world exploded again? Would she see it coming this time?

Sydney’s breathing had grown hectic, and she struggled to regulate the expansion and contraction of her lungs. She closed her eyes tightly, taking deep, shuddery gulps of air. Now desperate, she struggled once again to lift her upper body into a sitting position to improve her air flow.

The foreign sensation of a gentle hand on her shin halted her movements.

She jerked her head in its direction and watery, slate blue eyes derailed her runaway train of thoughts.

Kara was awake.

///

Thanks to her super-human hearing abilities, the sound of a single, despairing gasp for air was enough to wake Kara from her deep sleep.

_Sydney._

For a moment, Kara did not breathe. The sight of her cousin finally awake after forty-one hours and… seventeen minutes of unconsciousness evoking enough emotion to short-circuit her own robust respiratory system.

She watched Sydney for another second before comprehending the severity of her laborious breathing. Despite her yearning to throw herself at her cousin in an expression of pure, unadulterated relief, Kara listened to the voice in her head urging her to touch Sydney with caution. (It sounded like Alex.)

Kara righted herself, sliding forward in the metal folding chair. Tentatively, she reached out and placed a hand on one of Sydney’s quivering legs.

Sydney flinched instinctually at the physical contact, but Kara did not move. When Sydney turned towards her in shock, she tried to muster up Supergirl’s best comforting smile. “It’s okay. You are safe,” she asserted.

That seemed to be the worst phrase Kara could have uttered. If anything, the words only caused her cousin’s breathing to grow more irregular.

Suddenly, the occasional beeping of the room’s electrocardiograph sped up to signify the increase in Sydney’s heart rate. Kara panicked, standing up from the chair so fast that it clattered to the floor. She gripped her cousin’s hand desperately and pulled it to her chest as she hovered anxiously over Sydney’s trembling body.

“Syd, please. I just found you!” The plea in Kara’s voice pierced the fog of panic surrounding Sydney’s brain, reminding her of the thirteen-year-old girl she would do anything for, had given her life for. Immediately, the shrill beeping filling the room began to slow.

Kara sagged with relief. She leaned all the way forward now, burying her head into Sydney’s shoulder. Still cautious, Kara supported her own body weight with her arms, which were braced wrist-to-elbow against the empty sections of the mattress on each side of her cousin’s torso.

When Kara felt a familiar hand run soothingly down her back, the tears that had been wedged in her throat began their descent down her face. Sydney’s arms shifted, and she held Kara as tightly as she could manage from her position while her cousin sobbed into her shirt.

After a few minutes Kara’s cries slowed, yet neither Kryptonian moved. Sydney was content to have Kara in such proximity and began to trace soothing patterns on her back. She was never happy to see Kara in tears, but the familiarity of this – of comforting Kara – reminded her of a much simpler time.

Eventually, Kara lifted herself from Sydney’s arms and peered down at her with wet eyes. Kara’s hair was a bit tousled now, so Sydney smoothed down a few errant strays. “Finally got tired of the bangs?” The quip came out as more of a croak due to Sydney’s dry throat, but Kara’s resultant smile was dazzling nonetheless.

Kara shook her head, recalling Sydney’s bimonthly teasing on Krypton every time she’d emerged from a haircut with the bangs still intact. Presently, Kara was so happy to hear Sydney’s voice that she couldn’t manage to school her features into the playful frown her cousin’s jibes had typically elicited.

(She tried not to think about how she’d avoided mirrors during those first few months on Earth until her bangs grew out, unable to bear the reminder of Sydney.)

“I should’ve known your first words to me in 12 years would be about the bangs,” Kara laughed. Before the teen could reply, Kara pressed a button on the side of the bed that slowly elevated Sydney’s head until she was in a reclined sitting position. Then, Kara fetched her a drink from the infirmary’s water cooler.

“Take small sips,” Kara instructed. Sydney nodded gratefully.

When she finished drinking the water, Kara took the cup from her. “So…” Sydney started, clearing her throat. Kara took a seat on the edge of the mattress, staring at her expectantly. “Twelve years, huh? So you’re… 25?” Kara nodded hesitantly, her forehead creasing as she realized that she probably shouldn’t have mentioned the years that had passed.

(She then decided not to delve into the real timeline – Kara was technically 48 – because she was not sure how Sydney would handle the fact that she had been in the Phantom Zone for 23 years.)

“No, it’s fine.” Sydney amended, sensing Kara’s distress. “I would’ve asked, but you beat me to it. Anyway, you’re beautiful… and tall.” Sydney paused, considering something. “Wait, are you taller than me now?” she asked, unwilling to delve back into her time as Maxwell Lord’s minion to answer her own question. 

Kara’s expression turned sheepish. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Sydney’s response was immediate. “Don’t apo–”

“ –logize for things I have no responsibility for,” Kara finished with a smile. “I know.”

“…you remember?”

Kara stared at her cousin in confusion. “Of _course_ , I remember.” When she saw that Sydney had looked away, Kara retook one of her cousin’s hands and placed it on her lap, holding it with both of her own now. “I remember _everything._ I thought about you every day.”

Sydney swallowed thickly. Kara watched a myriad of emotions flash across her face, and struggled to identify them. Surprise or guilt? Maybe…anger? Before Kara could inquire aloud, Sydney’s mood seemed to shift.

“Right. Umm… anyway, we have a lot of catching up to do, Kid…err… Kara.”

“Sure,” Kara spoke softly, suddenly becoming aware of a deep fragility within her cousin she’d never observed before.

“Well, to start... where are we exactly?”

“We’re at the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, the D.E.O. for short. It’s a government agency that works to keep the Earth safe from aliens…” Kara trailed off when she noticed Sydney blanch. “What’s wrong?”

“Kara, we are not safe here.” Sydney was trying to move off the bed, but Kara’s hand now on her shoulder stopped her. “ _We_ are aliens on this planet. Trust me, I know from experience that we cannot trust the government. They see us as threats,” she finished darkly.

“I know,” Kara agreed. “But the D.E.O. isn’t Cadmus. I’ve been working here for months now. This is a safe place for you… for us. I promise.”

Kara’s mention of Cadmus set Sydney on edge, memories of the months she’d been imprisoned there flashing unbidden through her head. A bitter laugh emerged from her throat, startling Kara, and Sydney’s expression turned hard, her lips narrowing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kara had never seen Sydney like this before and was not sure how to respond. An awkward silence settled in the room before Sydney eventually deflated, settling back against the bed. “I’m sorry,” she said distantly.

Kara opened her mouth to accept the apology, but Sydney had already rolled over onto her side. “I’m actually feeling pretty tired, so…”

Kara wavered. “Do you… do you want me to leave?” Sydney did not answer, but Kara saw that one of her hands had begun to shake. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep,” she asserted, retaking her seat by Sydney’s bed, her forehead crinkled with worry.

“Okay,” Sydney whispered, shutting her eyes tightly.

///

 

Alex Danvers was exhausted.

Nearly two days had passed since Sydney’s collapse, and the girl was still unconscious. No medical tests could provide an explanation.

Soon after Sydney’s breakdown, Alex discovered that its cause was due to the Kryptonian equivalent of a heart attack. Despite its seemingly endless supply of resources, the D.E.O. did not have immediate access to a heart surgeon who was familiar with Kryptonian anatomy… So, surgery was not an option.

That left blood thinners, lots of blood thinners.

Alex recommended using the strongest anticoagulants in the D.E.O.’s pharmacy, coupled with the anti-serum she and Maxwell Lord had reverse-engineered from the one he’d used to transform Sydney into Bizarro. To Astra and Kara’s immense relief, the strange combination worked – Sydney’s irregular heart rate had evened out.

Yet, she’d remained unconscious, Kara and Astra now starting to rotate 5-hour shifts at her bedside.

Consequentially, Alex and the other D.E.O. scientists shifted their focus to Sydney’s brain. They tested spontaneous breathing, pupil dilation, and even used an EEG. Each examination confirmed that Sydney’s brain was active. So why wasn’t she awake?

Alex felt like a failure.

Kara did not deserve to lose another family member, and Alex didn’t have to meet Sydney to know she did not deserve to die like this.

The sound of Kara’s footsteps rapidly approaching her office made Alex rise from her desk. She barely made it around the piece of furniture before Kara was there. “Why aren’t you with Sydney? Did something happen?” Alex bounced on her heels, preparing to dash to the infirmary, but Kara stopped her.

“Alex, whatever you did worked. She’s awake. I mean she was, she’s back asleep now.” When Alex’s eyebrows shot up, Kara hurriedly added, “by choice!”

“Wow,” Alex exhaled, stepping backward and propping herself up on the edge of her desk. Suddenly, she remembered herself. “I should go run some tests!”

“It can wait.”

Kara clasped Alex’s shoulder, dipping her head until she made eye-contact with her sister. “Thank you,” she marveled. When Alex’s mouth quirked upwards in acknowledgment, Kara continued. “You’ve been running yourself into the ground, trying to do everything you could for Sydney and I am _so_ grateful. Also… I never apologized for what I said to you the other day.” Kara bowed her head in shame, “Everything you do is enough. You’re enough. I was out of line and–”

Alex placed her own hand on top of Kara’s and squeezed it before interrupting. “It’s okay. _Really_ ,” she added at Kara’s ensuing look of skepticism. “I get it. You were just worried about your cousin, which I understand. Sydney is my family now too. Okay?”

Kara sniffed once, her eyes starting to moisten. Alex shook her head determinedly and whacked her on the shoulder. “Don’t!” she warned, mentally cursing her own throat for tightening at the sight of Kara’s tears.

The Kryptonian laughed, taking a beat to gather herself. She moved to stand next to Alex so that they were shoulder to shoulder.

“How is Sydney?”

Kara sighed now, running a hand through her hair. “She’s stable physically, and Astra is with her now.  I’m just really worried about her psychologically. She’s suffered so much, and all the trauma is still so _fresh_. I don’t know how to help her.”

Alex bumped Kara with her elbow. “You do, Kara. Trust your instincts. You and Astra are the only Kryptonians on the planet who can relate to what she is feeling.”

Kara shook her head lightly. “Aunt Astra is terrified her presence will overwhelm Sydney, because they were on shaky terms those last few years before...you know.”

“Yeah,” Alex murmured softly.

“And as for me… on Krypton, Sydney was older. She was _my_ support system. I want to be that for her now, but…” Kara shrugged, “it’s weird. She still sees me as that thirteen-year old girl, and I feel that way when I’m around her.” Growing restless, Kara began to pace. “She _literally_ had a panic-attack and I was no help. I just panicked in response!”

Alex frowned at Kara’s gesticulations. “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself, okay? There’s no rule book you are supposed to be following. Twelve years ago you arrived on Earth and came face-to-face with a…” Alex paused to do the math. “… a twenty-three-year-old Clarke. You were expecting him to be a baby.”

Kara closed her eyes at the memory. “ _You_ know how it feels to have a cousin age-up on you. _You_ have first-hand experience with that shifting of roles,” Alex finished, poking a finger in Kara’s chest for emphasis.

“You’re… right?” Kara said slowly, her eyes widening at the realization.

Alex rolled her eyes, her features shifting to display her _classic_ smug grin. “Duh.”

///

Astra In-Ze was no stranger to irony.

A person couldn’t devote their _entire_ life to saving their doomed planet and fail, only to arrive on _another_ doomed planet and _not_ see the irony.

But standing here in the doorway of the D.E.O.’s medical bay watching her daughter sleep yet again and feeling the same hesitance and fear she felt all those years ago on Krypton – was just ridiculous.

Rao must have quite the sense of humor.

Two hours ago, when Sydney had finally awakened, Astra had been on the roof of the building due to Alex’s insistence that she was _disturbing_ the scientists with her “hovering” over their work.

Nonetheless, Astra had still been closely monitoring the infirmary with the aid of her super hearing, so she heard the exact moment when her daughter opened her eyes. She also recognized the signs of an impending panic attack when Sydney’s breathing turned ragged. 

Sydney had these attacks often when she was younger, and Astra was on her feet preparing to zoom downstairs to Sydney’s aid, when a single thought stopped her.

_She doesn’t need you._

Sure enough, a few minutes later Sydney’s breathing seemed to be back under control.

Astra had a heap of regrets. At the very top of the list was how she’d handled her relationship with her daughter. She’d always thought she had more time, that once she saved Krypton, Sydney would understand – she couldn’t be a devoted mother _and_ stop the apocalypse at the same time. By saving Krypton, she was saving Sydney, and–

“Mm… Mom?”

At first, Astra did not say anything. She stood perfectly still. Sydney was sitting up on the bed now, staring directly at her.

Astra needed to leave.

She needed to leave and give Sydney space, but she couldn’t will her body to move towards the exit. She just stood there in the doorway, _gaping._ This wasn’t a shell of Sydney, _this was her daughter._

Sydney did not say anything else. She was blinking slowly, as if she expected this view of her mother to disappear at any moment.

The few yards between them might as well have been a galaxy, because they couldn’t _reach_ each other. There was a barrier between them that neither saw, yet both felt _._

Astra watched a multitude of emotions dance across Sydney’s face, reading each one as if it were a headline in the newspaper. She wasn’t surprised to see the anger, but it still _hurt._

Having seen enough, it was eventually Astra who broke the spell. One of her hands pulled at a loose thread in the civilian clothes Kara insisted she wear. “I… Sorry. I was… I was just leaving. I’ll go get Kar–”

The sound of single heart-wrenching sob filled the room and flooded Astra’s senses. It _felt_ like a blow to the head and tasted like acid on her tongue.

For a moment, Sydney looked startled – surprised by the spurt of emotion. When she saw that Astra’s face was dry, she even frowned in confusion.

 _Then,_ she realized the sound had sprung from her _own_ chest. The deluge of tears that she had been unconsciously holding back escaped, and she _yielded_ to the eruption of suppressed feeling.

The instant Sydney slumped – crying so hard now that she began to shake – Astra was there.

Presently seated on the edge of the bed, Astra slid an arm around her daughter’s quaking frame, holding her up. Astra gently guided Sydney’s head into her chest and released a relieved sigh when the rest of Sydney followed, two arms slowly wrapping around her torso. When she noticed the hands now clutching frantically at the back of her t-shirt, Astra pressed a kiss into the side of Sydney’s head. Her arms tensed as she held her daughter as tightly as she dared.

Enveloped in her mother’s embrace, Sydney allowed herself to feel _safe_ for the first time in over a year.

It marked a _beginning._

///

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter of reunions makes up for the ridiculous wait.
> 
> Despite this chapter's ending, there's still a long way to go regarding Astra and Sydney's relationship.... especially considering Astra's plans for the Earth. (awkward)
> 
> Also, there is lots more to come for Kara and Sydney's evolving relationship. AND Sydney and Alex will meet in the next chapter. DUN DUN DUN.
> 
> Please please leave a comment! I also updated this story's summary. if anyone has any catchier ideas, let me know :)
> 
> LASTLY. SHIPS. What do you guys want to see? We will hit Season 2 stuff eventually. (Its been so great finally seeing Cadmus this season) 
> 
> Let me know in the comments!!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with this story and reading :D


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